


When You Gotta Go (You Gotta Go)

by Trixie_Baggins



Series: All of Them, Part of Me [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, captain america: civil war - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 02:08:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6884929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trixie_Baggins/pseuds/Trixie_Baggins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>He remembered you. I was there. He got all weepy about it 'til they put his brain back in a blender. He wanted you to know something. He said to me, ''Please tell Rogers... When you gotta go, you gotta go.''</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	When You Gotta Go (You Gotta Go)

_“I don't know if I'm worth all this to you”_

 

  
_“Captain Rogers.”_

“Your Highness.”

“The doctors have him stabilized, but they don't know if he'll ever wake up.”

“Can I see him?”

“Yes, of course.”

Steve entered the room where Bucky was laying. He had all sorts of tubes and technology hooked up to him. This was supposed to be Steve. Steve was the weak one. The sick one. That was never Bucky. Bucky was strong and talented and people loved him. To a sixteen year old kid from Brooklyn, Bucky was invincible. It was hard to believe that this shell of what once was, this broken form of the past was the same Bucky.

“We'll leave you alone,” T'Challa said before he and the doctors exited.

“Hey Buck,” Steve said pulling up a chair. “The doctors said you're in a coma, but that you still might be able to hear me. Do you remember back in the 40's when we fought together? And I asked you if you were ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death? You just looked at me and said 'Hell no! The little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from a fight, I'm following him'. Do you remember that? Well, I'm still that little guy from Brooklyn. I'm still the kid who's scared out of his wits and needs his best friend to come in and save him. Just...just think about it.”

 

* * *

 

 

  
_“I don't know if I'm worth all this to you”_

 

  
In the weeks following, there was no change in Bucky's state. He was still stable, but still in a coma. Steve sat by his bed every day, talking to him. Telling him stories from when they were kids. Telling him stories from his time with the Avengers that he thought Bucky would like.

“Remember when we went to see Wizard of Oz, Buck? And we sat all the way in the back so we could hide behind the seats and no one would know how scared we were?” And then the next day, Steve brought a copy of the Wizard of Oz movie and watched it in the hospital room.

The next day, Steve brought a copy of the Wizard of Oz, and he read it to Bucky during the night when the nightmares hit. He read until his voice became hoarse and then the next day after it had healed, he still read.

 

* * *

 

 

_“I don't know if I'm worth all this to you”_

Even months after Bucky's first admission to the hospital wing, Steve could be found at his side. “Once you told me that the problem with the world was that people wanted a magical solution, but everyone refused to believe in magic. I never believed in magic, I always believed in people, but now, I'm willing to believe in magic.”

 

* * *

 

 

  
_“I don't know if I'm worth all this to you”_

  
“Captain Rogers, the doctors don't think he'll ever wake up. Go back to your home. We'll keep an eye on him and alert you if anything changes.”

“Thank you for the offer, Your Highness, but if you'll let me, I'd like to stay here.”

“Captain, don't waste your life for someone who can't even realize you are.”

“I don't think you understand, when I was just a kid from Brooklyn, Bucky stood by me. He told me he would be with me until the end of line, and the least I can do is return the favor.”

 

 

_The Winter Soldier fought with the precision that Hydra taught him. “You're my mission YOU. ARE. MY. MISSION.”_

_Steve dropped his defensive position. “Then finish it. 'Cause I'm with you 'til the end of the line.”_

* * *

 

 

  
_“He's my friend.”_   
_“So was I.”_

 

  
“Tony, where are you going?”

“Out.”

“Do you think that's wise?”

“I don't remember asking you to be my babysitter, Natasha.”

  
Ever since he had found out that Bucky had killed his parents and Steve had disappeared, Tony had been in a steep spiral downward. He had thought that Steve was actually his friend. He'd never had real friends growing up, they all wanted to be his friend because of his name and his money. And then there was Bruce, but even he left after New York. But Steve stuck around. And Tony had shown him how to work all of the latest gadgets, and it was the closest thing Tony had ever had to a friend.

But that had to end. Steve was gone and no one knew where he was. He was probably never coming back.

And then Tony had received a message from T'Challa who said that Steve and Barnes had been staying in Wakanda. Tony had, of course, left at his earliest convenience.

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
_“That shield doesn't belong to you. You don't deserve it. My father made that shield.”_

 

“Captain.”

Steve jumped. He knew that voice. He knew that arrogant walk.

“Tony. What are you doing here?”

“I believe this is yours.” Tony held the Shield out to Steve.

“Thanks,” Steve took it. “I can't believe that this is the only reason you're here, though.”

“It's not. Can I- Can I talk to him?” Stark indicated Bucky.

“Yeah. The doctors don't know if he can hear anything, but they say it's worth a shot.”

“Okay. I'd really like to talk to him alone, if that's okay.”

“Sure....” Steve left the room with his shield, his mind full of questions. What was Tony doing here? How did he know they were here? Was he here to arrest them? Kill Bucky? Or maybe he actually wanted to make amends.

 

* * *

 

 

_“You killed my mom. Do you even remember her?”_   
_“I remember all of them.”_

  
“Barnes.” Tony began, sitting down. “I guess you're wondering what I'm doing here. Truth is, I don't really know myself. My therapist tells me I need closure. I suppose I should talk to you for closure, but I kinda have this whole speech planned, so if you could not interrupt that would be great. Heh heh. So, I know what you did wasn't you. Steve has nothing but good things to say about you, and I guess they're true. I know what Hydra did to you, and it's not your fault, that you didn't have a choice. T'Challa tells me that you tried to kill yourself, yeah, I've been there. I was going to kill myself after my parents died, but you know what stopped me? My father always told me that I wouldn't amount to anything, and I guess I just wanted to prove the bastard wrong. For the longest time, I thought you were a murderer, and if you die, I'll be right. Because your death will kill Steve, and I'll be damned if I stand by and let that happen. Go ahead, Barnes. Prove me wrong. I'm sorry, and I know you're sorry, and I just wanted you to know that I forgive you. Steve is your friend, and he's my friend too, so please, please, and I'm begging here, which you should know is a big deal because I don't do that, please don't do this to him.”

 

* * *

 

 

_“Tony, we used to be a family.”_   
_“I don't care.”_

  
“Tony, what are you doing here?” Steve asked standing up.

“Here.” Tony held something out to Steve, wrapped in a white cloth. Captain Rogers took it, and unwrapped it.

“An olive branch, huh?'

“The UN released a bunch of old Hydra films, and I'm sorry, Steve. I didn't know.”

“It's okay, Tony. Bucky and I both know what it feels like to lose parents. We understand.”

 

* * *

 

  
_“Please tell Rogers, when you gotta go, you gotta go.”_

  
Tony spent the next few weeks in Wakanda. He and Steve reconnected, and Tony updated him on all of the Avengers. Clint and Scott and both gone back home to their families, Nat was living at the compound with Vision and Wanda. Rhodey was learning to walk again.

“Tony, I'm sorry. I know we've had our differences, but I never thought something like this would happen.”

“Cap I--” Tony was cut off by an alarm and doctors racing towards Bucky's room.

“What's happening?” Steve demanded.

“He's crashing.”

“You said he was in a stable condition.”

“Conditions change. Clear!”

Nothing.

“Clear!”

Still nothing.

As the doctors rushed around him, time seemed to slow down for Steve. And then, in the silence, a loud monotone sound echoed. Bucky flatlined and they called time of death at 1944 hours. Steve sat in his room, even after the doctors left.

“Do..do you want me to--?”

“No, stay. Please.

“I'm sorry about your friend.”

“Yeah, well when you gotta go, you gotta go.”

“What idiot said that?”

“Bucky! You're – how are you – are you sure you're – doctor! Doctor!”

“You kidding, kid. I'm with you 'til the end of the line.”

“Sergeant Barnes.”

“Mr. Stark. Thanks for coming.”

“You need anything, Bucky?”

“Nah, nah, I'm good.”

“Ah, Sergeant Barnes. How are you feeling?”

“Much better.”

“Captain Rogers has sat by your bed every day since you went into a coma.”

“Really? I-I-I didn't know I was worth that to you.”


End file.
